stuff on the debt ceiling irritated him. he demanded he had unilateral control -- >> eternity. >> it was a huge overreach. something they could point to. that said the president is going beyond what he campaigned on. in terms of the result, republicans said to me it's hard to envision ultimate scenario in which tax rates for the top bracket don't go up. >> bret: constitutionally, judge, the debt ceiling and that limit, that vote, has to -- >> it those be a vote. a vote by the congress since they began borrowing money in the wilson administration. no president argued or triggered borrowing money without approval from the congress. a statute. if the president attempted to borrow money, any member of congress can go to a federal judge and get them enjoyed in an hour. >> bret: do you think it should be part of the negotiation? part of the republicans' leverage? >> you are talking to somebody who believes that the government should not borrow any money under any circumstances unless it were necessary to preserve the republic; suc